How Does PR Distribution Work? - A Detailed 6-Step Guide

Press releases may seem like a branding activity of big organizations, but any business can benefit from sending PRs at any point in their growth.

Press releases are the next-generation tool for gaining digital visibility in multiple ways. They primarily serve to announce a vital business update, engage media, and bring online traffic for sales. However, the trick to enjoying these perks is creating a powerful PR distribution strategy, which we will guide you through today.

What is PR Distribution - Why is it Valuable for Businesses?

Press release distribution is the act of contacting journalists and other pros in the media industry to cover your announcements. It promotes your services or a campaign that would make a great story for the public.

The technique is well-established to provide visibility to your news. Once your PRs are published and more people read about them, they bestow public attention, credibility, and, eventually, high revenue for your business.

The Steps to an Effective Press Release Distribution Plan

The success of media release distribution depends on multiple factors. From the writeup to journalists' pitches and publishers, everything works together to publish a press release that receives massive views and a positive response. The below step-by-step guide describes the basics of a worthy distribution plan.

1. Create an Engaging Press Piece

For your news to be taken seriously, it must be presentable and written professionally. Press releases are formal information documents that must follow a specific industry structure. The basics of the format involve a headline, dateline, content body of at least 300 words, supporting quotes, boilerplate, and contact details. This is the initial and critical step to making your PRs a hit. You can hire content writing agencies or all-inclusive PR marketing services to cater to both writing and distribution needs.

2. Find Journalists and Make a List

The next step is finding reporters and journalists who are interested in your topic. You can research your competitors to see their coverage partners. Searching on Google for press releases relevant to your topic can also help identify valuable contacts. Make a spreadsheet of the journalists to pitch with their specializations, emails, and associated media channels. An easy and more precise method is to use databases if you want to speed things up.

An effortless way is to buy press release distribution services, and they’ll take care of the whole searching, pitching, and follow-up tasks.

3. Craft Interesting, Tailored Pitches

Journalists receive hundreds of pitches every day. Only a few get their attention and have stories written about them. To make your PRs noticeable, you need to craft a catchy email pitch to persuade them. A pitch is basically the email body with the attached press release document.

In the email, introduce yourself and your company, followed by an explanation of the press release material and its value to the target audience. Journalists only post stories that provide value to readers. Tailoring your pitch to the journalists' interests increases the chances of getting recognition.

4. Send it at the Right Time

Timing is a deciding factor in whether your PR will be picked up. Sending it during the morning hours and initial weekdays is preferable as 85% of emails sent on weekends get lost under the pile. Email your request at least one to two weeks prior to the posting day. Don't forget to mention the date of release in your document and in the email pitch.

5. Contact Bloggers and Influencers

Getting a response from journalists may take time. Meanwhile, you can pitch your press releases to digital influencers like bloggers and content creators to craft interesting posts regarding your news. Send them a short message that looks like the summary of your announcement with value points for the targeted person and the public.

6. Follow-Up

Follow up with Journalists, reporters, and influencers a few days after sending your email. Restate your introduction, company values, and the worth of your PR. Don’t show a hurry in your email; respectfully ask if they have any additional questions. Follow-up time varies with the publishing date of your PR.

Manual Distribution vs. Online PR Distribution Services

Manual distribution, as explained in the steps above, may take much time and effort. Finding journalists, writing personalized pitches, and following up regularly is vital to a fundamental press release distribution plan. If the above steps seem too demanding and hasslesome, it’s wiser to hire a digital PR distribution agency.

Such companies specialize in publishing press releases for authoritative sites. They have positive relations with journalists and can get your story noticed in no time. Moreover, an all-inclusive agency also works with efficient writers to create compelling PR material for the media as well as the consumers.

Bottom Line

Knowing the strategic planning behind publishing a press release is essential to its success. It enhances the chances of getting coverage and connecting with the audience. Only a decently formatted and perfectly distributed press release gets a high Return on Investment.

The above 6-step guide breaks down every primary step to a thriving PR distribution. Choosing an agency for your distribution needs is also an efficient way to make your campaign a success without much hassle.